| Season Name: | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fast Forward |
| Season Number: | 6 |
| Bg Color: |
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| Num Episodes: | 26 |
| Network: | 4Kids TV |
| Prev Season: | Ninja Tribunal |
The sixth season (subtitled Fast Forward or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fast Forward) originally aired between July 29, 2006, and October 27, 2007, beginning with the episode "Future Shellshock."[1] The season is lighter in tone and less violent than previous ones, with a greater emphasis on jokes, and includes recreated designs for all returning characters.
The season was originally going to air one year later, but to try to increase interest in the series, FOX's 4Kids TV started airing this season a year earlier instead of the "Ninja Tribunal" arc. This season became the fifth season to air on commercial television even though it was the sixth season produced. After the scheduling change was made, Mirage and its partners decided to finish production on the "Ninja Tribunal" episodes and release them directly to DVD. 4Kids Entertainment later signed a deal with Comcast and that season began airing on Comcast-On-Demand in August 2006, although airings would suspend after five episodes. Thus, mass confusion has ensued regarding which season is officially season five and which is season six. Chronologically, this season comes after the "Ninja Tribunal" season.[1]
The episodes were released in partial season DVD sets. Volume 1, named "TMNT Fast Forward: Future Shellshock!," was released on February 6, 2007, and had the first thirteen episodes, and volume 2, named "TMNT Fast Forward: Day of the Awakening," was released on August 7, 2007, and had the remaining thirteen episodes.
Having suddenly transported 100 years into the future, the Turtles and Splinter arrive in the year 2105, where they befriend Cody Jones, heir to a vast tech company called O'Neil Tech and the great-grandson of April O'Neil and Casey Jones, and his fussy yet loyal English-accented robotic servant Serling. Due to the multispecies population of New New York City, the Turtles can openly move about and interact with everyday people. As the Turtles and Splinter try to help Cody make a time portal for them to return to the 21st Century, they must uncover the suspicious criminal activities being carried out by Cody's greedy uncle Darius Dun. Aiding Darius is the Inuwashi Gunjin, avian-themed warriors from an endangered species that are initially enslaved by Darius before being freed by the Turtles.
Other enemies the Turtles must contend with are the Kanabo warlord Sh'Okanabo and his sentient computer virus ally Viral, who seek to unleash the "Day of Awakening" on Earth. However, it becomes apparent that a combination of sunlight and Earth's oxygen-based atmosphere is preventing the Kanabo symbiosis from occurring. Darius is eventually presented with the Dark Turtles, ferocious clones of the Turtles created by Sh'Okanabo as minions, in return for the blueprints to the Time Window. Though he manages to create a Time Portal of his own, but goes haywire and opens multiple rifts in time. While dealing with a time-displaced Utrom Shredder, the Turtles neutralize the unstable Time Window and seemingly destroy Sh'Okanabo in the process.
With Darius losing his patience after ultimately being exposed and forced into hiding, Dark Leo attempts to destroy the Turtles from within. However, their kindness touches him enough to start treating the other Dark Turtles the same way. The Turtles eventually learn from President Bishop, a future equivalent of Agent Bishop and president of the Pan Galactic Alliance, that Sh'Okanabo survived his seeming destruction and has escaped to the dark side of the moon, where he has taken over the moon base. Cody, Serling, and President Bishop neutralize Viral using a Decompiler program and prevent Earth from being shrouded in darkness. The Turtles and Splinter manage to eradicate Sh'Okanabo and cure his army, averting the Day of Awakening and saving Earth.
Other notable futuristic enemies and allies include Starlee Hambrath, an O'Neil Tech intern from the planet Omatran; Constable Biggles, a robotic police officer and leader of the Peacekeepers; Jammerhead, an eccentric cyborg thug and leader of the Street Phantoms criminal gang; Torbin Zixx; a charismatic intergalactic smuggler and mercenary; Triple Threat, a three-headed alien wrestler; Boss Zukko, a Triceraton gangster who has a history with Zixx; and a future equivalent of Baxter Stockman, who has been transformed into a cycloptic brain-headed squid-like creature.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fast Forward was produced by Mirage Studios & 4Kids Entertainment and was aired on Fox's Saturday morning kids' block in the US.[2] The producers were Gary Richardson, Frederick U. Fierst, and Joellyn Marlow for the American team; Tae Ho Han was the producer for the Korean team.[2]
An additional set of 10 episodes was originally in production and intended to be aired on 4Kids TV in fall 2007. However, the episodes were scrapped mid-production and only a storyboard animatic of one of the episodes ("Master Fighter 2105") was released through the Rewards Plaza of the 4Kids website.[3]